YMMV / Coyote Ugly

• Adorkable:
  • Violet can be very endearing as a fish out of water in New York City, especially when she's attempting to be sexy and sassy at the bar.
  • Kevin likewise is a geek for comic books, and not nearly as cool as he thinks, which makes him all the more endearing. Then he performs a slightly goofy striptease on the bar.
• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • Some find Violet to be a relatively weak protagonist who stumbles into her end goal without really growing as a person. While she does display character at times, such as actively pursuing her barmaid job and proving herself adept at breaking up customer fights, those character traits never seem to carry over to her main pursuit in songwriting. No matter how capable she discovers herself to be as a person generally, she's still always ready with her Freudian Excuse of stage fright. In addition to letting the barmaid job sidetrack her from her true passion for most of the film, she very nearly quits music altogether, only getting back on track through interference from other characters.
  • It looks like Violet has rediscovered an inner strength to continue after Bill gives her a pep talk, and to an extent she has, but the direct result of that is only Violet finishing another song. In her true final test, live performance, Kevin turned off the stage lights so Violet could sing in the dark, which she'd already proven she could do halfway through the movie. In a nutshell, Violet never has to overcome her biggest established flaw, but still gets everything she'd ever wanted at the end.
  • Is Violet's dad a good, if flawed, man? Or is he a repressive dad who can't stand to see his daughter branch out? And is his anger at what Violet is doing at the bar or more the fact that she lied?
• Alternative Joke Interpretation: Cammy says "I'm not a lesbian. I've played in the minor leagues but I've never gone pro". Is she actually bisexual and in denial about it, since at the time a lot of people still insisted it didn't exist? Or is she referring to Faux Yay that she and Rachel may have done on the bar?
• Award Snub: Given the universal love many have for "Can't Fight the Moonlight"—performed by LeAnn Rimes and written by Diane Warren, it's surprising to find out it wasn't nominated for Best Original Song.
• Best Known for the Fanservice: The sexy women table dancing in tight leather pants does not make up as much screen time as pop culture would have you believe.
• Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: During a montage of Violet writing songs, there are a couple of shots of her and the rest of the Coyotes playing baseball, including Cammie stripping to distract her opponents. The change in setting is pretty jarring and doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the montage, except maybe showing Violet bonding with the girls.
• Catharsis Factor: Violet finally finding the courage to perform, singing "Can't Fight the Moonlight", in an especially awesome rendition of it too.
• Cult Classic: The film has acquired a cult following over the years, mainly thanks to its beloved Cult Soundtrack, which has been certified four times platinum by the RIAA.
• Critic-Proof: Critics trashed the movie as an Excuse Plot for the sexy table dancing, but it was a Box Office hit, grossing over $113 million worldwide.
• Ensemble Dark Horse: Zoe appears in only two scenes, but Tyra Banks says that people still talk to her about the movie. It probably helps that she's on the poster.
• Just Here for Godzilla: The aforementioned Cult Soundtrack is a big draw for viewers.
• Les Yay: Cammy takes Violet shopping for sexy outfits and helps teach her how to be sexier, also alluding to past experiences with women.
• One-Scene Wonder: LeAnn Rimes appearing As Herself in the climax of course, as the famous singer who bought "Can't Fight the Moonlight" and made Violet's dreams come true.
• Retroactive Recognition:
  • While Melanie Lynskey had starred in hits like Heavenly Creatures and Ever After, she would become more famous for Two and a Half Men and Yellowjackets.
  • Rachel, the self-described "New York Bitch" is played by Bridget Moynahan, who'd be later known for the series Blue Bloods and her roles in the John Wick films.
  • Kaitlin Olson plays one of the bidding customers during Kevin's striptease.
• Signature Song: "Can't Fight the Moonlight".
• Unintentional Period Piece: At this point seeing demo CDs would be enough to be such - Violet only started using those at the end, relying on cassette tapes through most of the film. The bare midriffs on most of the female characters, the presence of 17-year-old LeAnn Rimes, and the type of laptops on display when Violet goes shopping pinpoint the film to the Y2K Era.
• Values Resonance: The film is all about women supporting each other and learning to explore and embrace their sexuality, which is a big part of its enduring popularity over the years.

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